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Death Quote by Jack London

“Life is a strange thing. Why this longing for life? It is a game which no man wins. To live is to toil hard and to suffer sore, till old age creeps heavily upon us and we throw down our hands on the cold ashes of dead fires. It is hard to live. In pain the babe sucks his first breath, in pain the…” quote by Jack London
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““Life is a strange thing. Why this longing for life? It is a game which no man wins. To live is to toil hard and to suffer sore, till old age creeps heavily upon us and we throw down our hands on the cold ashes of dead fires. It is hard to live. In pain the babe sucks his first breath, in pain the old man gasps his last, and all his days are full of trouble and sorrow; yet he goes down to the open arms of death, stumbling, falling, with head turned backward, fighting to the last. And death is kind. It is only life and the things of life that hurt. Yet we love life and we hate death. It is very strange.””

Jack London

About This Quote

Source Novel: The Sea Wolf by Jack London, 1904

Life is portrayed as a relentless struggle filled with suffering, yet humans cling to it despite its hardships and inevitable death.

In simple terms: Life is hard and we love it despite suffering.

Key Takeaway

Accept suffering as part of life’s journey.

Themes

suffering existence humanity

Mood

melancholic reflective

Type

philosophical existential

When to use this quote

  • war
  • manual labor
  • old age
  • childbirth
  • death

Key Concepts

nihilism existentialism fatalism

Questions to Reflect On

  • What gives you purpose amid hardship?
  • How do you balance love for life with its pain?
A Different Perspective

Life’s meaning may be elusive, and optimism can be hard to sustain.

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